BONNYVILLE – The holiday season is set to officially arrive in Bonnyville Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 as two popular events take place.
The fieldhouse at the C2 Centre will be filled with festivity as the Town of Bonnyville hosts another Festival of Trees event on Saturday and Sunday.
Residents will also be able to spot Santa Clause and the Grinch during Bonnyville's annual Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. as the parade travels from the Players Lounge on the west side of Bonnyville, east toward the C2 Centre.
For those who cannot make it to the parade, there will be a livestream provided online where people can follow along with hosts Coun. Kayla Blanchette and Town CAO Bill Rogers.
Festival of Trees
Every year, the Festival of Trees event raises money to be donated to local organizations, such as the Bonnyville Health Foundation. The event is free to attend and will include photos with Santa, 50/50 tickets, vendors, a silent auction, and a secret Santa shop where kids can get a present for their parents or guardians.
The Festival of Trees will take place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Nov. 30, and from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Dec. 1.
This year, proceeds will be put toward building a mental health seclusion room at the Bonnyville Health Centre. The project will be part of the upcoming Emergency Department renovation
Organizer Doreen Kushnir from the Town of Bonnyville says The Festival of Trees will be a wonderful time for families and will offer opportunities to win prizes and do some Christmas shopping, with many vendors planning to attend.
“We’re doing a secret Santa Shop where kids can buy presents for their mom and dad,” explains Kushnir. “The kids can go in without their parents and there will be staff there that will help them pick a gift, and then they can go and decorate their gift bag and put their parents' names on them.”
Nine trees will also be decorated with prizes all valued at $1,000 or more, and tickets will be available before and during the Festival of Trees. Tickets will be $10 each or three tickets for $20 and will offer those who purchase a ticket the chance to win one of the trees and the accompanying prizes.
Prizes include a PlayStation 5 Pro, Traeger grill, concert tickets, Edmonton Oilers tickets, wine, a vacation, a toy bundle, and $1,000 cash.
Kushnir says the Town has been hosting the event for about 15 years, and that in the past the proceeds from the event have gone towards other groups – such as sport organizations and cancer support causes.
“All the money made goes towards the organization that we pick,” says Kushnir.
Kushnir adds that organizers are still looking for silent auction items to help raise even more funds for the cause.
